An innocent woman is imprisioned in Illinois for the brutal murder of her young son. Websleuths can help! After reading the info, please sign the petition or send letters.
Please visit the website Justice for Julie and Joel (http://www.justiceforjulieandjoel.org)
Especially read this Eye Witness Interview
Eye Witness Interview (http://www.justiceforjulieandjoel.org/interviews.html)

This happened very near my home.

The inconstancies in this story are dumbfounding. So many leads that were never followed up, so much evidence that was never examined. Then we add the story of Sells, the Texas death row inmate who was convicted of murders with similar MO all over the Midwest. He was even placed in the area at the time of the murder.

I truly feel that an innocent grieving mother is imprisoned.

I found out yesteday from Diane Fanning, author of Through the Window - (The true story of the cross country trail of murder committed by serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells.) Diane Fanning Website (http://www.dianefanning.com/pages/490990/index.htm) that hair found in Joel's hand was sent in August of last year for DNA testing and the results are still not back!!! 8 months!!!!!!!!!

The Crime Time program on the Discovery Channel will be aired at the following times:
March 27 - 9:00 pm Eastern, 8:00 pm Central
March 28 - 12:00 am Eastern, which is March 27, 11:00 pm Central

Casshew

03-24-2004, 03:19 PM

Confession adds twist to murder case

Illinois July 3 -- A serial killer on death row in Texas has allegedly confessed to killing a 10-year-old boy from Lawrenceville, Illinois.

The victim's mother has already been convicted of the crime. So who's guilty, and is this new development enough to re-open the old murder case

Author Diane Fanning claims Sells confessed to her that he's killed at least 13 people across the country. And among the victims is Joel Kirkpatrick.

The 10-year-old boy was stabbed to death inside his bedroom at his mother's home in Lawrenceville in 1997.

It took police more than three years to charge Kirkpatrick's mother, Julie Rea, with the crime.

http://www.wtvw.com/Global/story.asp?S=1346717&nav=7CPEGiZE

Stormdancing

03-24-2004, 05:21 PM

Chart of Killings By Sells Similar to Joel's Murder (http://www.justiceforjulieandjoel.org/common/chart.jpg)

After reading the eyewitness account of Sells being in Lawrenceville at the time of the murder and about his behaviour and interest in children at the restuarant, why is it so hard to believe that this crazed man would break into a nearby home and murder a child? There is no rhyme or reason to his crimes. People ask why he didn't also kill Julie. Who can explain the mind or actions of a mad man. Look at his history.

Ghostwheel

03-24-2004, 08:12 PM

Are there any articles about Joel's murder, and what happened that night?

Stormdancing

03-25-2004, 11:04 AM

There are many links on the Justice for Julie and Joel site.
Justice for Julie and Joel

Here are some other articles
Who Killed Joel? (http://justiceforjulieandjoel.org/about.html)

No Hard Evidence (http://www.truthinjustice.org/rhea.htm)

blueclouds

03-25-2004, 11:29 PM

Is this the same woman I saw on a program where they said she killed her child because of a bitter divorce and custody case?

Juliana

03-26-2004, 12:08 AM

I read the links but missed this: was the boy visiting his mom when he was killed or did he live with her at that point in time?

Stormdancing

03-26-2004, 11:30 AM

Is this the same woman I saw on a program where they said she killed her child because of a bitter divorce and custody case?
Yes bluecloud, that is what the X and prosecution is claiming was her motive for killing Joel.

Stormdancing

03-26-2004, 11:31 AM

I read the links but missed this: was the boy visiting his mom when he was killed or did he live with her at that point in time?
Yes he was with her for the weekend. She had purchased new clothes for him for the school year and they had plans to go to Holiday World that next morning with family and friends.

blueclouds

03-26-2004, 12:43 PM

Yes bluecloud, that is what the X and prosecution is claiming was her motive for killing Joel.

Hopefully that DNA testing will go through sooner than later. Prosecutors love stalling for years on that.

smile22

03-26-2004, 11:05 PM

i dont know much of the case but what i am reading this guy who was in the area at the dinner and stuff why didnt they pursue him why the mother was it her only son? innocent child dies and they charge the mother with his death it must be so hard for her to cope him being murdered and she being sent to jail how sad i hope her case gets reopen and the real person gets convicted

txsvicki

03-28-2004, 02:12 AM

I usually have high respect for police but it is unbelievable to see what was done in the case of Julie Rea. It was so obvious that the new prosecutor just wanted to clear up this crime and then totally ignoring the serial killer who was in the area. Has the father of the boy in the diner even had a chance to identify Sellers as the man who threatened his son? This is really disgusting.

Stormdancing

03-29-2004, 02:36 PM

i dont know much of the case but what i am reading this guy who was in the area at the dinner and stuff why didnt they pursue him why the mother was it her only son? innocent child dies and they charge the mother with his death it must be so hard for her to cope him being murdered and she being sent to jail how sad i hope her case gets reopen and the real person gets convicted
Although she remarried before being convicted, I believe Joel was her only child.

Stormdancing

03-29-2004, 02:44 PM

I usually have high respect for police but it is unbelievable to see what was done in the case of Julie Rea. It was so obvious that the new prosecutor just wanted to clear up this crime and then totally ignoring the serial killer who was in the area. Has the father of the boy in the diner even had a chance to identify Sellers as the man who threatened his son? This is really disgusting.

Of course everybody wanted this crime solved, both parents, friends, family, the community. SOLVED not just someone convicted! Len Kirkpatrick is/was also in law enforcement. Maybe this had something to do with SOME kind of conviction being pushed through. They had no definate leads, the crime scene was not sealed or even thoroughly processed for evidence - somebody had to pay for the death of Joel. I believe the man at the diner was told where to find pictures of Sells on the internet and did to see if that was the man. He still stands behind his report.

Arielle

03-29-2004, 04:45 PM

Does anyone but me think that this case mirrors Darlie Routier's case? As one who feels that Darlie was falsely convicted, I woudl have to say that I also think this poor woman was. There is even a possible serial killer that may have done it. When and where was he arrested? He is in prison in Texas, right? This murder took place in 1997?

Stormdancing

03-29-2004, 06:37 PM

Does anyone but me think that this case mirrors Darlie Routier's case? As one who feels that Darlie was falsely convicted, I woudl have to say that I also think this poor woman was. There is even a possible serial killer that may have done it. When and where was he arrested? He is in prison in Texas, right? This murder took place in 1997?
Here is a good read about Tommy Lynn Sells and his murderous career.

Tommy Lynn Sells has confessed to scores of murders across the country (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/02/06/48hours/main269790.shtml)

Interview with Sells-He Knows Too Much About The Murder! (http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=1649866)

Maybe So

03-30-2004, 11:18 AM

Does anyone but me think that this case mirrors Darlie Routier's case? As one who feels that Darlie was falsely convicted, I woudl have to say that I also think this poor woman was. There is even a possible serial killer that may have done it. When and where was he arrested? He is in prison in Texas, right? This murder took place in 1997?

I am another person in the minority who thinks Darlie Routier may have been falsely convicted.

This case sounds similar.

Stormdancing

03-31-2004, 03:32 PM

I am another person in the minority who thinks Darlie Routier may have been falsely convicted.

This case sounds similar.
What is erie to me is the similarities to the murder sprees of Sells.
Kitchen knife
killing children
etc
What of the bloody fingerprint they just discovered in that case? It did not belong to any family member or police personnel.

Ghostwheel

04-01-2004, 06:51 PM

So this makes me wonder if it could have been Sells that killed the Girl Scouts in Locust Grove, OK in 1977. He seemed to travel all over. Just thinking out loud.
http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5374

txsvicki

04-03-2004, 04:01 AM

This case did remind me of Darlie Routier, too. I've never been convinced that she is guilty either.

lorann

05-01-2004, 02:37 PM

Storm, this is terrible - I found this after the TV show was aired. Not too far from my home either.

Just wondering if anyone has tried to get someone like Gloria Allred - or Barry Sheck - someone with a name and some influence to get this aired often? Too bad Nancy Grace can't do something about this. Small town coverups are one thing but not contacting the witnesses for a composit drawing - no follow up!!! I read your link about the author, she sounds convinced Sells committed this murder too. Competent testing could have that hair tested, if the glass from broken window was kept, there should be blood on it? If there was a coverup by LE here, it is possible the evidence was not gathered or was destroyed...Enough in your face publicity should bring some action.

Justice must be done for the murder of this little boy and freedom for this mother.

Juliana

05-01-2004, 04:08 PM

This is just awful. I hope there is more to this story than what I have read, but based on what I have read I can't imagine how someone could not have doubt that Julie Rae committed this murder.

Not that Julie Rae would have had much of a happy life anyway after her son being murdered, but an innocent person should not be sitting in prision right now for a crime they did not commit. This needs to be looked at again, in depth, by an unbiased party.

nanandjim

05-08-2004, 03:39 PM

Julie : Not Guilty
Darlie: Guilty

Just my opinion.

mic730

06-27-2004, 04:46 PM

This is just awful. I hope there is more to this story than what I have read, but based on what I have read I can't imagine how someone could not have doubt that Julie Rae committed this murder.

Not that Julie Rae would have had much of a happy life anyway after her son being murdered, but an innocent person should not be sitting in prision right now for a crime they did not commit. This needs to be looked at again, in depth, by an unbiased party.
I feel as you do - unless I am missing something from the trial that was more direct evidience that what I have just read in the articles. Reminds me of Stephanie and Micheal Crow with the hairnot being tested.

Stormdancing

06-28-2004, 09:27 AM

Julie Rae Harper may be getting out of prison.

An Illinois appeals court judge vacated Julie Rea Harper's 2002 conviction for the murder of her ten-year-old son. And although she's always claimed her innocence, it's a technicality that may get her out. A technicality over the appointment of the special prosecutor in the case.

Her parents, Jim and Jane Rea, are thrilled with the news. And got an extra surprise when their daughter called them from prison.

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=1970576&nav=3w6oODjJ

Not much here other that what is posted. I expect more in the news in the following days. All I can say is YES YES YES.

amandab

07-08-2004, 02:28 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/07/08/son.murdered.ap/index.html

She has been freed!

CaliMom

07-08-2004, 07:21 PM

This is really good news. From what I have read, I just don't believe she is guilty. Hopefully a new trial will bring new evidence to light.

Norma

10-06-2005, 08:46 PM

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=3944286&nav=3w6o

A southern Illinois mother, accused of murdering her ten-year-old son, gets a second trial.

Texas death row inmate Tommy Lynn Sells claims he killed the boy. His statement may be presented during her new trial, which is now scheduled to start in July of next year.

mysteriew

10-17-2005, 05:09 PM

"I followed the woman from the convenience store, to a driveway she pulled into. And I hung around several hours, till it come wee hours of the morning. Then I went into this house . . . I go to the first bedroom I see . . . I don't know whose room it is and, and, and, and I start stabbing."

So begins an 86-page transcript of serial killer and former St. Louis resident Tommy Lynn Sells, as interviewed two years ago in a Texas prison by an Illinois prosecutor. He was there to investigate Sells' claim to the stabbing death in 1997 of Joel Kirkpatrick, 10, in Lawrenceville, Ill.

Joel's mother, Julie Rea Harper, had been convicted of the killing - despite her story, from the beginning, that a masked intruder stabbed her son in his bed, struggled with her and disappeared.

Harper's conviction was overturned last year on a technicality. Her new trial is set for July, freshly opening an old wound in Lawrenceville, a small downstate town near the Indiana border. A judge has moved the trial to Carlyle, in Clinton County, to avoid local publicity.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisstatenews/story/15B78FC3E91F7C1F8625709D001C29B8?OpenDocument

Becba

10-18-2005, 12:04 AM

Sounds like he is giving good details in his confession.

If mom is innocent she has been thru unimaginable hell.

smile22

10-18-2005, 09:59 AM

i followed her thread a while ago and read up on the case and from what i was reading i got the feeling the town she lived in wanted to place blame on someone and deicided to put the blame on her i hope the new trail frees her

Jeana (DP)

10-18-2005, 10:13 AM

I'm undecided in this case. Tommy Sells is a seriously bad dude. I am glad that she's getting a new trial though.

detectivewannabe

07-09-2006, 10:07 AM

bumping this thread. Julie's new trail is slated to start Tuesday, July 11, in Carlyle, Ill. In this new trial, the judge has ruled that Tommy Sells' alleged confession to the crime can be used as a part of her defense.

Jeana (DP)

07-10-2006, 02:22 PM

bumping this thread. Julie's new trail is slated to start Tuesday, July 11, in Carlyle, Ill. In this new trial, the judge has ruled that Tommy Sells' alleged confession to the crime can be used as a part of her defense.

Thanks. Definately one to watch!!

Delores

07-13-2006, 02:03 PM

I know nothing of this case , but Darlie is guilty !

detectivewannabe

07-13-2006, 03:58 PM

Opening statements started this morning.

paperhanger44z

07-13-2006, 04:30 PM

Opening statements started this morning.
Thanks for the updates.I hope you keep them coming.I read about the case and it sounds like a real injustice was done.

Paperhanger

Jeana (DP)

07-13-2006, 05:14 PM

I was just reading the interview that Tommy Sells gave to 20/20 and I think there's a pretty good possibility that he did indeed commit this murder.

detectivewannabe

07-13-2006, 05:19 PM

Thanks for the updates.I hope you keep them coming.I read about the case and it sounds like a real injustice was done.

Paperhanger
I just want everyone to keep an open mind. Just because convicts "confess" to other crimes; doesn't mean it is the truth. Some of them just want the attention, others are trying to delay the execution process, which by the way is what the prosecutors in this case believe. I'm not saying he didn't do it and she did and I'm not saying he did do it and she didn't. I do question his confession. I have to look further, but, if I remember correctly, Tommy Lynn Sells says he was in the house to kill Julie because she pissed him off earlier in a convience store. But in another place I read he said it was a burgulary gone bad. Like I said, I have to look again and get my sources correct. I don't have time tonight, but I will be back tomorrow. If you want somemore information on jury selection and today's opening you can go to www.14wfie.com (http://www.14wfie.com/) and under TODAYS HEADLINES there's a link titled Did mother kill son over custody issue?

dwb

Jeana (DP)

07-14-2006, 09:02 AM

I just want everyone to keep an open mind. Just because convicts "confess" to other crimes; doesn't mean it is the truth. Some of them just want the attention, others are trying to delay the execution process, which by the way is what the prosecutors in this case believe. I'm not saying he didn't do it and she did and I'm not saying he did do it and she didn't. I do question his confession. I have to look further, but, if I remember correctly, Tommy Lynn Sells says he was in the house to kill Julie because she pissed him off earlier in a convience store. But in another place I read he said it was a burgulary gone bad. Like I said, I have to look again and get my sources correct. I don't have time tonight, but I will be back tomorrow. If you want somemore information on jury selection and today's opening you can go to www.14wfie.com (http://www.14wfie.com/) and under TODAYS HEADLINES there's a link titled Did mother kill son over custody issue?

dwb

No, Tommy Sells says he went into that house because he ran into Julie (with her son) at a convenience store and she treated him badly. He followed them home that very minute from the store and sat in front of their house. He later went back. He said he went into a room, saw a body and started "cutting/stabbing" and heard someone coming down the hall. He said she fought with him and he pushed her and she came back at him again. He said he would have stabbed her, but he had already left the knife behind, so he got the hell out of there. He was then asked if he felt bad that she was being held responsible for a crime he may have committed and he said hell no, that he was happy about it because of the way she treated him and she could go to hell (or something of the sort). This doesn't sound to me like a guy who wants to just be a nice guy and get the lady out of trouble. He also said that sometimes killing someone close to the person he hated was even better than killing the person because it hurts them more.

I'm still on the fence here, but this looks like reasonable doubt to me.

detectivewannabe

07-14-2006, 11:59 AM

I can't find where I read that Tommy said elsewhere that it was a burgulary gone bad:banghead: I know I saw it somewhere. Oh well, all I was trying to imply was that just because a already convicted killer confesses to other crimes doesn't necessarly mean they are being truthful. Like I said previously, I am not saying it is impossible that this man is to blame for Joel's death. He's killed so many people all across the U.S. and there's no way that he knows or even cares what their names were.

I will just stick with relaying the information (providing links, of course) and we'll see what this trial brings. :cool:

I am on the fence about this case also. It's highly possible it could have been him.
p.s. Sorry Jeana about the misinformation.:(

Jeana (DP)

07-14-2006, 12:48 PM

I can't find where I read that Tommy said elsewhere that it was a burgulary gone bad:banghead: I know I saw it somewhere. Oh well, all I was trying to imply was that just because a already convicted killer confesses to other crimes doesn't necessarly mean they are being truthful. Like I said previously, I am not saying it is impossible that this man is to blame for Joel's death. He's killed so many people all across the U.S. and there's no way that he knows or even cares what their names were.

I will just stick with relaying the information (providing links, of course) and we'll see what this trial brings. :cool:

I am on the fence about this case also. It's highly possible it could have been him.
p.s. Sorry Jeana about the misinformation.:(

Tommy Sells is a disgusting piece of trash. I wouldn't put it past him to say many many different things, so please don't worry. He most likely said it. I just hope they consider the possibility. I don't know this case very well. I read up about it after the last trial, but was in too deep with some other cases and of course cases at work, so I couldn't read as much as I wanted to. If the evidence fits with his story, I just think they should keep an open mind, that's all!!

txsvicki

07-18-2006, 11:13 PM

Does anyone know if Sells was the serial killer who was supposedly staring at and threatening Julie's son in the restaurant? I remember another customer came forward and tried to report what had happened and that he later identified the man as a serial killer.

Jeana (DP)

07-26-2006, 03:09 PM

Jury is out now!!!

Jury is Deleberating the Julie Rea Harper Trial by Web Producer

Harper is on trial for murdering her 10-year old son, Joel, in 1997.
This is her second trial because her first conviction was overturned on a technicality.
Fox 7`s Jennifer Mcgilvray is covering the trial from Clinton County Illinois and will have the verdict when it comes in.

gidget641

07-26-2006, 07:41 PM

From Julie's website..

Verdict Reading

The Judge was notified that the jury had reached a verdict at 4:10 PM.

The proceedings started at 4:24.

Judge Vaughn requested that the court give the jury the respect it deserves and that no outburst of emotion will be tolerated. You would be removed from the courtroom.

The Jury Foreman passed the Verdict to the Judge. The Judge read:

NOT GUILTY!

more at linkJusticeforjulieandjoel (http://www.justiceforjulieandjoel.org/new_trial.html)

Jeana (DP)

07-26-2006, 07:58 PM

From Julie's website..

Verdict Reading

The Judge was notified that the jury had reached a verdict at 4:10 PM.

The proceedings started at 4:24.

Judge Vaughn requested that the court give the jury the respect it deserves and that no outburst of emotion will be tolerated. You would be removed from the courtroom.

The Jury Foreman passed the Verdict to the Judge. The Judge read:

NOT GUILTY!

more at linkJusticeforjulieandjoel (http://www.justiceforjulieandjoel.org/new_trial.html)

Good for her. I think Sells' confession did more than he was hoping it would.

detectivewannabe

07-27-2006, 12:11 AM

Hey, thanks for the updates. I've been at VBS this week and haven't been able to watch the news. :crazy:

LovelyPigeon

07-27-2006, 08:34 AM

Woman Cleared in Retrial of Son's Death
By JIM SUHR
The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; 9:46 PM

CARLYLE, Ill. -- A woman who spent about two years in prison for the stabbing death of her 10-year-old son was acquitted at her retrial Wednesday, after the defense insisted the murder was carried out by a masked intruder, possibly a Texas death-row inmate who has confessed.

Julie Rea-Harper stood as the verdict was read then collapsed and began sobbing after she was cleared of two counts of first-degree murder in Joel Kirkpatrick's death in their Lawrence County home early Oct. 13, 1997. - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/26/AR2006072601859.html

bbmcrae

07-31-2006, 12:09 PM

Holy cow! That is amazing! Thank God!

bykerladi

08-02-2006, 07:58 PM

Anyone know the results of the DNA test?

Dean

03-13-2007, 05:11 PM

Mr. Berkshire was the man whose son talked to TLS on Friday night before Joel K. was murdered early Monday morning; he testified in Julie Rea-Harper's 2nd trial and identified TLS as the man he saw, spoke with, and tried to follow ~ then reported to local sheriff.

Dean

03-13-2007, 05:17 PM

There are several stories about Joel's murder on www.IllinoisTimes.com (http://www.IllinoisTimes.com) ~ some are front-page stories; others are shorter: Who Killed Joel? The End . . . are the two that come immediately to mind.

bugaboo

06-08-2007, 12:27 PM

I'm totally in the minority on this. I have been reading up on this case for one of my grad school classes, and I just can't pin it on Sells. Julie's stories were WAY too inconsistent. She was laughing and making jokes at the neighbor's house while waiting for the police. She made more jokes at the hospital. The chances of some masked intruder getting into and out of her house, finding and killing her son, and struggling with her through the house without leaving more evidence or disarray of items is just preposterous to me.

Sells' interview with Sgt.Pea and SA Phegley was fishy. The questions were rather leading, allowing Sells to gain information he may not have otherwise had. Do we know what he knew about the case before this interview? Newspaper articles are very telling. Plus, much of what he was saying is either common sense or based on the law of probability.

-It was a brick house, almost two stories. Those are fairly common in the midwest.
-It was off the main highway in a subdivision. That describes millions of houses everywhere.
-There was a light source. How many homes leave nightlights on? Too easy.
-Knife came from a block on the counter. Again, how many homes have their knives in blocks on the counter?
-Room was down a corridor, not a hall, a little corridor. Again, that's just semantics. Many bedrooms are off of "little corridors".
-His bed was close to the wall, no not in the middle of the room. Well where else are you going to put a bed?

There are just too many things that people are using to say he did it that could be guessed by a side-show psychic.

Plus, after reading all of Julie's statements to various people, as well as previous history, she just has so many serious issues that I think she very well could have done it. Maybe not alone (look at her friend Trina Woodward), but she was involved.

JaneInOz

11-08-2008, 11:14 PM

I am another person in the minority who thinks Darlie Routier may have been falsely convicted.

This case sounds similar.

Me too I am another who thinks something stinks about DR being convicted

Where are the MAIN forum sub sections for Darlie Router ?

wonders

07-11-2009, 08:10 PM

Has this woman ever been released? Thank you.

JulieR

07-11-2009, 10:54 PM

Yes she was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Rea

wonders

07-11-2009, 11:15 PM

Yes she was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Rea

Thank you for your answer and the link. I'm glad she is out.:clap:

wonders

07-11-2009, 11:16 PM

Are you that lady?

trafficsUP66

07-25-2009, 04:53 AM

I'm totally in the minority on this. I have been reading up on this case for one of my grad school classes, and I just can't pin it on Sells. Julie's stories were WAY too inconsistent. She was laughing and making jokes at the neighbor's house while waiting for the police. She made more jokes at the hospital. The chances of some masked intruder getting into and out of her house, finding and killing her son, and struggling with her through the house without leaving more evidence or disarray of items is just preposterous to me.

Sells' interview with Sgt.Pea and SA Phegley was fishy. The questions were rather leading, allowing Sells to gain information he may not have otherwise had. Do we know what he knew about the case before this interview? Newspaper articles are very telling. Plus, much of what he was saying is either common sense or based on the law of probability.

-It was a brick house, almost two stories. Those are fairly common in the midwest.
-It was off the main highway in a subdivision. That describes millions of houses everywhere.
-There was a light source. How many homes leave nightlights on? Too easy.
-Knife came from a block on the counter. Again, how many homes have their knives in blocks on the counter?
-Room was down a corridor, not a hall, a little corridor. Again, that's just semantics. Many bedrooms are off of "little corridors".
-His bed was close to the wall, no not in the middle of the room. Well where else are you going to put a bed?

There are just too many things that people are using to say he did it that could be guessed by a side-show psychic.

Plus, after reading all of Julie's statements to various people, as well as previous history, she just has so many serious issues that I think she very well could have done it. Maybe not alone (look at her friend Trina Woodward), but she was involved.

When I saw her listening to Sells DESCRIBING VIVIDLY (on a big monitor right in her face) his supposed murder of her child, she was GRINNING with her cagey eyes fluttering open/closed, looking away & totally avoiding meeting the interviewer's on a recent 20/20 repeat. I got the CHILLS!

I have since read and agree with your post completely. That impression has stuck with me and I knew she'd done it right then.

And of course, there was no conviction of this other "killer" or anyone else. I believed the ex-husband when he said she would do it just because she couldn't have him (Joel). He had no doubts whatsoever.
I would also like the state to make sure and test that hair and show the results even now, even though she cannot be re-tried. It is hers. I'd put money on it.

I believe this all began because of the author writing the book on the serial killer.

And now there is NO justice for Joel and likely will never be.

HesterMofet

07-29-2009, 09:27 PM

When I saw her listening to Sells DESCRIBING VIVIDLY (on a big monitor right in her face) his supposed murder of her child, she was GRINNING with her cagey eyes fluttering open/closed, looking away & totally avoiding meeting the interviewer's on a recent 20/20 repeat. I got the CHILLS!

I have since read and agree with your post completely. That impression has stuck with me and I knew she'd done it right then.

And of course, there was no conviction of this other "killer" or anyone else. I believed the ex-husband when he said she would do it just because she couldn't have him (Joel). He had no doubts whatsoever.
I would also like the state to make sure and test that hair and show the results even now, even though she cannot be re-tried. It is hers. I'd put money on it.

I believe this all began because of the author writing the book on the serial killer.

And now there is NO justice for Joel and likely will never be.

I believe it was because Tommy Lyn Sells told Diane Fanning and she felt the obligation to tell authorities and they investigated. I don't think she was self-serving in this at all.

nostoneunturned

03-01-2010, 03:44 AM

Originally Posted by JulieR
Yes she was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Rea

"If you have prosecutors who are willing to go on a crusade to ignore the evidence, who are unaccountable, who are unchecked, then yes, it takes a million dollars to even those scales.

AMEN!
I don't know, but that old saying that says"God won't ever give you more than you can handle ....I don't know how JulieR had the strength to stand,not only losing her child,but to go through the torture of having people think you took a knife and stabbed your beloved child....that would have to be the cruelest thing an x husband could say..to insist you were capable of such a thing.
I am so thankful for DNA, before that I think LE went only on Brass and GUT reactions...reputation and some times lack of a reputation.
How do they give her back the years lost? How do they equal what her earnings would have been if she was allowed to continue school?How is a person treated so ill be just expected to just be happy to be found innocent of a crime, that if LE had done their job..took pictures..took fingerprints..their JOB..she wouldn't have been accused in the first place......men stick together ...Glad one wrong was righted....but again I say how can they right the wrong?

JulieR

03-23-2010, 10:55 PM

I think the saddest part is that she still has to defend herself to some people who still think she is guiltily. Oh and wonders......no, I am not the lady, thank goodness I would have never survived all she did.

JenniferTx

04-10-2012, 06:23 PM

Kinda strange that Sells actually confessed to the crime. I guess he knows he will never get out of prison no matter what.

wonders

04-12-2012, 02:49 PM

I think the saddest part is that she still has to defend herself to some people who still think she is guiltily. Oh and wonders......no, I am not the lady, thank goodness I would have never survived all she did.

It's funny that I saw a new post here and peeked in to see what was happening. JulieR I asked that question in 7/09 and you answered in 2/10 and here we are in 2012. I really do feel sorry for that poor lady, I hope she is coping and starting to heal as much as she can.

Mary456

12-16-2014, 04:42 PM

After years of contacting just about everyone involved in Julie Rea's case, I obtained a partial transcript of her 2002 trial. I reconstructed, to the best of my ability, the missing testimony using two sources: 1. Trial coverage posted on the supporter website "Justice for Julie and Joel!" This website was taken down soon after Rea's 2006 acquittal and 2. The Lawrenceville Daily Record newspaper.

Don't panic when you see 722 pages, because the actual transcript is double-spaced in large type. I read the entire thing in a few hours. Opening statements are missing, so some of the testimony may make more sense if you read the closing arguments first.